Armed Karuna faction running its writ in Pottuvil

The Karuna faction is said to be creating havoc in the Muslim-dominated Pottuvil town in Ampara, moving around freely with weapons in government-controlled areas while law enforcement authorities are allegedly turning a blind eye, the Daily Mirror learns.

Some Muslim youth in Pottuvil are threatening to take up arms for self-protection if Karuna cadres are not brought under control, according to sources from the area. This comes amidst allegations that the group is now playing the role of the police by urging residents to bring their concerns to the faction’s office in the area.

“They go around with weapons on motorbikes and are said to be threatening people on the streets. They have also extorted money from people. All this is happening while the police and the STF stand around doing nothing,” an area resident told the Daily Mirror.

Earlier this year the Daily Mirror reported similar activities by the Karuna faction in the Batticaloa district as well but despite concerns being raised the authorities have yet to take appropriate action to control the group who insists it is purely carrying out political work in government-held areas.

According to a police source the government had not granted any party or group, other than the police and armed forces, the authority to carry weapons and as such if Karuna cadres were seen moving around with weapons they should be taken into custody.Meanwhile, the Peace Secretariat for Muslims (PSM), a peace coordinating body set up jointly by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the National Unity Alliance, told the Daily Mirror that it had already brought up the issue with the co-chairs as a matter of urgency.

“We have already brought the Pottuvil crisis to the attention of the co-chairs and are awaiting speedy action,” a PSM spokesman said.

The PSM is of the opinion that what was happening in Pottuvil town and other predominantly Muslim areas in the neighbourhood heralded signs of a major clash in the

near future and said it was the responsibility of the government to avert such a catastrophe.

“Maintaining law and order is the duty of the police, and in special cases the Army too has a role to play. But in Pottuvil the police including the STF and the Army have become mere by-standers while the Karuna group is running the writ through the town” said the spokesman.

“Muslims in Pottuvil see this as an extension of repression that existed during the LTTE regime. Whether it’s the rule of Prabhakaran or Karuna there is no peace for the Muslims here” he added.

When the Daily Mirror contacted the Pottuvil Police we were told the Officer In Charge (OIC) was not available and that they could not comment on the said allegations.

Tensions rose in Pottuvil last week when the Karuna faction was involved in opposing a Pradeshiya Saba (PS) decision to demolish a public building opposite the Pottuvil political office of the Karuna faction also known as the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP).

Area residents staged a hartal against the demolishing of the building while on Friday a vehicle belonging to the PS was set ablaze by an armed group after the driver was evicted.

However, Karuna faction spokesman Azad Maulana denied the allegations saying with regard to the PS issue the group had only mediated on the insistence of residents who were outraged at the demolishing of the PS building.

“I too was involved in trying to resolve the issue. We got involved because the people including the Muslims wanted us to mediate. If people come to us for assistance we will not turn a deaf ear. But at the same time we go through the police and do not act on our own. We did not threaten anyone,” Maulana told the Daily Mirror.

He also insisted that TMVP cadres do not roam around with weapons in government-controlled areas as alleged by several groups and added that if there were such allegations it should be taken up with the police.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/04/16/front/1.asp)